It Takes Ten Seconds

It takes ten seconds to let them into your lane.
It takes ten seconds to say I love you.

It takes ten seconds to lose a friend.
It takes ten seconds to open your heart to a new friend.
It takes ten seconds to have that last sip of coffee.
It takes ten seconds to ask the question.

It takes ten seconds to send that text that could brighten their day.
It takes ten seconds to make it right.

It takes ten seconds to let them finish.
It takes ten seconds to make the call.
It takes ten seconds to speak your truth.

It takes ten seconds to breathe before your presentation.
It takes ten seconds to forgive them.

It takes ten seconds to wait ten seconds before making the decision.

It takes ten seconds to mean it.
It takes ten seconds to stop talking long enough to let them talk.
It takes ten seconds to figure it out.
It takes ten seconds to care.

It takes ten seconds to remove judgement.
It takes ten seconds to understand.

It takes ten seconds to grab their hand.
It takes ten seconds to apologize.
It takes ten seconds to see it.
It takes ten seconds to help a friend.

It takes ten seconds to change your career path.
It takes ten seconds to say yes.
It takes ten seconds to show compassion.

It takes ten seconds to enjoy.
It takes ten seconds to not be so hard on yourself.

It takes ten seconds to change someone’s life.
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

Choices

We have an average of 60,000 thoughts every day. Do we need milk? Should I call her? Did the presentation go well? Perhaps the parkway will be a better route? Thoughts after thoughts after thoughts that often overlap and drown us with indecision.

We have as many choices in a day as well. Yet we add more thoughts to our already busy brain hoping we can make the right decision each and every time. We don't listen to our intuition. We know what we want but we either don't think it'll work out or we continue to find reasons our logic may be flawed. Or worse, we try and predict the reaction of others.

Watch out for the Lizard

We call it a gut call. It comes from the reptilian complex in our brain; some call it the lizard brain. It's that burning feeling you get when you know you're right but then doubt creeps in. We may believe we're using logic but we're often not.

We get lost in the worry about judgement from others, concern of being ridiculed, or our own general hesitation. The late Alan Watts remarked on this in his lecture "Choices". Watch, listen, then choose.

Because you've already chosen.


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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience as a business coach and project manager in numerous industries and organizations including; human resources, corporate training, financial services, media, real estate, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting leaders who want to improve their bottom line through strong culture and leadership. knealemann@gmail.com

Speaking Our Truth

If you’ve done any reading on topics of self-improvement, Tarot, or the Buddha, you know about the importance of speaking your truth. Sure, sounds good, I’ll get right on that. But what does it mean?

I’m going through a program right now that has enlightened and shocked me on this whole topic. It’s exciting and scary, remarkable and uncomfortable. What the hell does it mean to speak your truth?

Eureka!

This is at our core, deep down past the conscious mind where that unseen bullseye resides. One of my colleagues said that healing is not unpainful and she was absolutely right. It’s tough to reprogram our behavior to align with what we feel is right and what we deeply want in our lives.

Speaking our truth can be messy. There will be causalities; most of which are truths you’ve told about yourself your entire life. I’m a helpful person, I love others unconditionally, I enjoy being creative. Speaking your truth is deeper than that. It began before we were born. We have spent our life defining our truths aligned with what our parent taught us, what our teachers told us, and what our family showed us.

That’s it!

It hit me on a phone call over the weekend, mid-sentence, I found myself falling into my self-imposed traps of guilt and excuses. I had plans, I couldn’t change them for the request that was asked of me on the call and I said no. It was like a knife in my throat. How could I say no?! Well, I found the strength to do so.

But I let that guilt ride with me for a few more miles. I felt bad I didn’t drop my plans to help them. No! This isn’t about dishonouring others for your benefit; it’s about understanding who you are and being okay with healthy boundaries and a healthy relationship with yourself.

The toughest part about speaking our truth is letting go of the truths that we feel have defined us. When we do that, something profound happens.

Our truth speaks to us.
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

Listening to Our Shame

The medical industry will tell us that stress is a killer. We worry and fret over money, our jobs, marriages, future, the list is long. The vibration of fear is around us constantly. It’s never enough; it needs to be more.

As I look closer at my own life path, I am seeing shame and judgement come up a lot and as I dig deeper, it seems to come up almost as much as stress. What is that? Well, it’s two things; fear of judgement from others and fear of judgement from ourselves. Humans are the only creatures who look back at our pasts and toward our futures, often to the detriment of our present.

I’ve had a blessed life, a fascinating career, and my share of difficult situations. Yet it’s those challenges I’ve been focused on which hold me back. That meeting went too long, I talk too fast, I should have, I didn’t, I wish I hadn’t, I didn’t make enough eye contact, I talked too much, etc.

My dad said it on a call this week; “How do your clients even know what you’re talking about, you talk too fast”. Thanks for the judgement, dad. I’ll carry that around for the next week. Actually, saying it then publishing it here is part of my journey of shedding the judgement of others, even my father.

We damage each other with our judgement; we crush ourselves with the same.

In 2011, Brené Brown shared her findings about topics we don't often like to talk about with her TEDTalk on the Power of Vulnerability. Here’s her 2012 talk about the unspoken epidemic of shame.

Be brave and watch this.


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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

My Life Path

I don’t share much about me and my life here. Sure, there are stories of clients and work and situations I try and relate but still not a lot of me here.

This website was born in April 2008 and it’s one of the only things in my life I have committed to consistently since then. I have done good work, I have felt lost, I have moved twice, I got closer to my friends, I walked away from a long shitty relationship, and I have had a lot of time to think about my life.

Good for you, son!

My parents were always supportive of my creative pursuits. They didn’t always understand how their son would make a living being on the radio or creating social media workshops or speaking in front of strangers or writing a blog or coaching executives. And they certainly wouldn’t enjoy finding out that their son has been a stuck in a lot of ways for a lot of years. Keep up a good front, don’t let them see you sweat, smile and wave.

I had told myself for years I was following my passion. Then an emotional truck broadsided me and put my on me ass for years. I'm reading more now, I'm seeking knowledge and inspiration, and most importantly, I'm moving again. I read this post from my Mark Manson and he's bang on.

Sit down!

This past Sunday, I sat with a remarkable woman named Lindsay Knight. As soon as I sat down, she looked at me and said; “Wow. You have a lot going on in there.” We sat for what felt like half an hour but was almost three. She did my life path and outlined all the places where I had acquiesced to other people.

The repeated patterns in my life were so clear and obvious to her. They are clear to me now too. I had always said I was curious about others. I felt the need to help and talk about them. She said that was a defence to not allow myself to show up. I had lived a life avoiding any conversation about me for fear I’d appear egotistical. She called bullshit. I was scared. I didn’t want to make a fuss. I did everything to smooth things over. I didn’t want to offend or stand up for myself. She smacked me around and it was wonderful.

Wake up!

I’m writing a book, I’m working with clients, I’m meeting prospective clients, I’m finding my way after years of being lost, and all the while thinking I was fooling everyone around me that I had my shit together. Lindsay woke me up to see me.

I don’t know if this is for you. For me, it’s life changing. I slept through the night last night for the first time in years. I woke refreshed and ready to write. I have begun to allow myself to be creative again and do what I want in my life. It has reminded me to stand up for me and do what I want with my truth no matter what anyone else thinks.

I had forgotten that or maybe never knew it.
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

One Day

One day I’ll act on that idea. One day we'll have enough money. One day I’ll stand up for myself. One day we’ll figure this out. One day the product will be ready.

One day I’ll learn my lesson. One day I’ll fix it. One day it’ll get better. One day we'll change. One day we'll act. One day may be too late. One day we’ll turn it around. One day it’s going to work out. One day I'll go for it.

One day we’ll take that trip. One day I’ll clean out that closet. One day you’ll check out that new gig. One day we’ll try that restaurant. One day I'll move. One day will be a great day. One day someday.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
New Book out in 2016 – Details soon!

Nine Questions

You don’t have to look far to find someone who has a model or gadget or program that promises to help you with your business. I’ve been in corporate and consulting roles for three decades. I’ve used assessment tools for talent development, programs for team development, coaching and facilitation tools, and a myriad others but I’m asked all the time to define my ideal client.

It begins with a willing participant. That wasn't always clear. I used to think I could share my wisdom or make money or some other misguided reason. Without that willingness, your offer won't mean a thing to them. I found that out the hard way.

I like working with companies that are growing and want to grow more. This isn’t about cutting costs and making cheaper products to increase the profit margin. This is about becoming an even better company – inside and out. Rarely do I meet a leader or owner who isn’t interested in improving. I often meet leaders who think it's simply about making more sales calls.

Do You Know Your Why?

Simon Sinek in his book “Start with Why” states repeatedly that great leaders find people who believe what they believe. He writes about Apple and Southwest Airlines; companies that are beacons for knowing why they exist while Walmart – the largest retailer on earth – has lost its why and it’s now all about the bottom line.

I have nine questions that will unlock everything you and your company does, stands for, and wants to do. Let’s book a call (519-803-7130) and we can uncover your nine answers. The call will cost you nothing. You’ll be amazed what you discover.

Email me and we'll set something up!
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

Reality vs. Theory

I pressed send this week on a proposal to speak at a TEDx event in January. You know when those who don't win the award claim it was an honor just to be nominated? I know the feeling now. It's not confirmed; it's not a yes, but I feel honored to have been asked to apply. As I said in an earlier post, it's not humblebraggery at all; it's really cool!

The theme of the day is Theory to Reality which led me to Emily Levine and her hilarious and charming 2002 TEDtalk where she shows us the trickster's view of realities and theories.


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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.

Big Moments

When you're thinking of an idea, a project, a career move, a relationship change, or any other important event in your life, it's often easier to let your mind fly a bit. These are big moments in our lives; to take that new gig on the west coast, to leave that person who has shared your life, to buy that house, the list goes on. We face decisions every day but the big ones can be debilitating.

I was in a relationship that was going nowhere but I was too scared to move forward. It wasn't my fault, it wasn't hers, we both got stuck and once that messy process was done, we were both better off.

"Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task." William James

I once took a job on a handshake. It was a big move, a big opportunity, and it changed the trajectory of my life. It shifted my thinking, it kicked me in the ass, it made me stand up straight and take a chance.

You're facing something in your life right now. You know it can't stay where it is but you're scared or unsure which way to go. Find quiet, make a list of pros and cons, and take the necessary time. Go for a drive, crank some music, get time alone, and do what it takes to face it head on so you can identify exactly what you're looking at.

If you need help, send me an email and we can discuss.
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Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit
New Book out in 2016 – Details soon!

Imagine

If we ask our parents what we were like as kids, they may tell us about a person we may no longer even know. My mom tells me about the hours I’d spend as a kid reading by myself, or playing with my toys while creating worlds and scenarios.

I've always had the ability to live in my own head, spend a lot of time on my own, and entertain myself with books or websites or music. That's not always a good thing because those ideas can often get stuck in my head without action. Ideas are critical but without movement, they are theory.

The work I'm doing on my first book has given me a chance to move ideas from my head to my keyboard. The process has been more enlightening than I ever thought. It remains a work in progress.

Provide the Solution

We are encouraged to use our imagination to solve business problems, develop collaborative cultures, provide clear leadership, create new products and ideas, and navigate the complexities of life.

In its purest sense, what happens to our innate ability to widen the scope beyond reality to include all possibilities and be that kid again who can create ideas void of budgets or constraints, politics or ridicule?

If we could do that, we may literally change the world.
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As a passionate leader, Kneale Mann has extensive experience in project management, leadership development, business, marketing, media, and talent coaching in numerous industries and organizations including; radio, digital marketing, corporate training, real estate, financial services, healthcare and more. He is always open to meeting companies and organizations who want to become even greater.